Regrets
by Lillica
Summary: Ash and Misty have been married for almost a year, but lately things have been rather rocky. When an upset Misty calls Brock, he immediately goes to cheer her up. They have never been more than friends, but if the oppurtunity arises, will Brock offer Mist
1. It Began With a Kiss...

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Disclaimer: The only thing I own is the idea for this fanfic, which is not intended for profit.

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Notes: I'd like to thank (as you know him) ObsidianX for giving me this idea a long time ago. This was a fanfic I never got around to finishing, but decided to give it another try. I hope to finish this sometime soon, but am busy and it will probably be put on the back burner while I work on some of my other (CCS) fanfics. Even though I support AAMR, this fanfic also has a lot of BAMR, and may end up kind of sad/dark. If you want to know, Ash and Misty have been married for a year now. They are both 24 now, and live in Cerulean City. Brock is now 27, single, and still lives in Pewter, running the gym along with some of his siblings.

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Regrets

Chapter One: **_*It began with a kiss…*_**

"Ring ring ring, ring ring ring, phone call!"

Twenty-seven-year old Brock Slate yawned sleepily, turning over to look at the clock on his dresser. It was close to five in the morning; 'Who would be calling at such an early hour?' he wondered. Sighing, Brock narrowed his eyes and pushed a button, silencing the annoying voice of the ringing videophone. Misty's angry tear streaked face appeared on the screen. Brock's expression became serious as he instantly sat up. 

"Misty?! What's going on?" he cried in alarm.

"HeleftthatbastardwhilesleepingnowGazellekill!"

"Slow down Mist', I can't understand you."

She stopped and took a deep breath as if to calm herself down. "I begged Ash not to go to that stupid Masters convention with that _skank_ Gazelle, after all this weekend is our one year anniversary! He promised he would stay, but he packed up and left while I was sleeping! All he left was a note saying he was sorry but it was too important to miss."

"Oh… Misty, I'm sorry, I know how long it took for you to plan everything and how much you were looking forward to this weekend. I tried to convince him to stay…"

"I know… thanks." She was silent for a moment before her face crumbled and she began to cry. "Oh Brock, how could he? Ash is always travelling or battling, and it's like he rarely ever comes home. To make things worse he spends a lot of time with Gazelle, who might I add wants to get in his pants and will stop at nothing to achieve it. Our marriage has been rather rocky these past months; we got into a huge fight before he left. Now he's gone and made everything worse, and I don't know what to do."

Brock, surprised at her sudden outburst, felt his heart reach out to her with sympathy. "Ash loves you very much and you know that. It's just that his position in the Elite Four is very important and time consuming."

Misty sniffed, "I know you're right… I just feel so… so alone."

"You shouldn't feel that way, you will always have Ash, Tracey and I, and all your family and other friends. Listen Misty; I'll go get dressed then see if Billy can take over the gym for awhile. I should be there around noon today."

"It's much too– "

"See you then," Brock said firmly, hanging up before she could refuse. 

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At the sound of a car pulling into her driveway, Misty leapt from her seat and rushed out the door. "Brock!" A bright smile lit her face as she wrapped the older man into a warm hug.

"Wow… Mist', it's so good to see you."

"Likewise. You didn't have to come all this way."

"What kind of friend would I be if I hadn't? Besides, it was only a six hour or so drive."

She gave a small laugh, "_Only_ six? Why if I had known that, I'd expect you here every day."

They finally let go and studied each other, both not having seen the other in person since Ash and Misty's wedding. Brock frowned at the tired dark circles below her eyes, her red swollen cheeks and the unusual messy state her general appearance was in.

"Look at you, you're a wreck!"

Her smile faded, "I couldn't seem to get back to sleep after I found the note and called you… Too much on my mind I guess."

"Maybe you're just overreacting a bit, you could be upset over nothing. I think everything between you and Ash will be perfect again once he comes home."

'Right. Perfect like a fairy tale,' she thought bitterly, 'If only there were such a thing as a happy ending.' Misty sighed, "Maybe you're right… please come inside so we can talk."

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Misty smiled in content as she and Brock sat in companionable silence. Her mind wandered back over the past few hours…

She had given Brock a tour of the new house she and Ash shared just a few streets down from the Cerulean Gym. Misty had taken a shower, changed and fixed her hair while Brock skillfully made and packed a lunch for the both of them. They had walked to one of Misty's favorite spots and set up a little blanket to have a nice picnic. She had been surprised to realize how much she missed Brock's company and wonderful cooking. They had ate, told stories of what they had been doing the past year, and recalled countless memories of the trios travels as young teens. Now they sat for a few minutes, Misty resting her head on his broad shoulder as if it were as natural as shaking hands, simply enjoying their peaceful surroundings.

Brock's voice was full of awe, "How did you ever find this spot? It's truly amazing!"

"This is where Ash and I…" she trailed off biting her lip, looking ready to cry again.

"I shouldn't have asked, please don't cry. I didn't want to ruin your mood by reminding you of your problems with him." Concerned, Brock pulled her closer trying to comfort her.

She wiped away the forming tears, trying to shove all thoughts of Ash away. "Don't worry, it's alright… Thank you so much."

Brock blinked and looked at her feeling somewhat confused. "For what?"

"For coming here to cheer me up; for being there when I needed you."

"No need to thank me Mist', I'll always be here for you."

She smiled, turning her face towards him, "As I will be for you, Brock."

The glow of the sunset lit Misty's pretty face and long red hair perfectly. Their faces had unknowingly moved so close together, now almost touching. He knew he shouldn't, but before Brock could stop himself, he broke the short distance between them.

Their lips met for the first time in all the years of their friendship. Misty hesitated in shock and guilt before returning his passionate kiss. She lost control of herself, running her fingers through his hair as he held her tightly in his strong arms.

From above them a pidgey squawked loudly. Misty's eyes snapped open and she pulled away standing up as she realized what had just happened. "Brock, I – "

Brock got to his feet and put a gentle finger on her lips to stop her. "Ash is my best friend and I don't want to hurt him, but I don't regret it, and I can only hope you don't either… I can't hold it back any longer," he took both of her hands in his, "Misty, the truth is I love you. I loved you ever since we were kids, and I continued to do so even after you got married. I've tried to ignore it, after all, you and Ash were and still are together and I never stood a chance. I've been dreaming of that kiss for a long time, and it was far more beautiful than I could have ever imagined."

Misty blushed furiously, her head swarming with confusion as she stared away from Brock's intense gaze. She knew it was wrong, her stomach turned guiltily at the fluttery feelings she got when she thought about him. She only loved Ash; Brock had never been anything more than a friend… hadn't he?

"I… I have no idea what to say…"

His expression grew even more serious, "Just tell me how you feel."

Misty's blue eyes shimmered, "Everything has been so complicated with Ash. He's never home, and when he is we don't spend too much time together. We always seem to be fighting with each other, even more than usual. You… well you make me feel so fantastic and happy. I've had so much fun with you this afternoon, but…"

Brock gently lifted her chin; "I don't want to pressure you Misty. Follow your heart."

His warm touch made her want to melt, the kiss still lingered, leaving her lips tingling. She felt so confused and strange, but as he continued to look deep into her eyes, she knew her answer. "My heart… my heart says you," she murmured dreamily, once again stepping close to him.

Brock smiled delighted as he wrapped his arms around her slender waist, lifting her in the air. He whirled her in a half spin, her toes no longer touching the ground. Misty's heart raced as they stopped and kissed again, this time even softer and heartfelt than the first. As a wonderful sensation spread over her, Misty completely forgot about everything else, including that she was married and still very much in love with Ash Ketchum.

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	2. Mixed Feelings...

Disclaimer: The only thing I own is the idea for this fanfic, which is not intended for profit ****

Disclaimer: The only thing I own is the idea for this fanfic, which is not intended for profit.

****

Notes: I'd like to thank (as you know him) ObsidianX for giving me this idea a long time ago. This was a fanfic I never got around to finishing, but decided to give it another try. I hope to finish this sometime soon, but am busy and it will probably be put on the back burner while I work on some of my other (CCS) fanfics. Even though I support AAMR, this fanfic also has a lot of BAMR, and may end up kind of sad/dark. If you want to know, Ash and Misty have been married for a year now. They are both 24 now, and live in Cerulean City. Brock is now 27, single, and still lives in Pewter, running the gym along with some of his siblings. I'm not sure if this should be PG or PG 13…

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Regrets

Chapter Two: **_*Mixed Feelings…*_**

"Bri?" {"Misty?"}

Misty stopped humming and somewhat distractedly looked up at the small egg pokémon that was peering up at her in interest. She was the youngest daughter of her closest pokémon, which had long ago evolved into a Togetic. Pushing back a slight wave of annoyance at being interrupted from her thoughts, Misty smiled. "What is it Togepi? Are you hungry?"

"Toge toge pi togepi bri?" {"Who's that man that keeps coming over?"}

She felt herself flush, unable to find her voice for a moment. "… Don't you remember Brock? He's… a very good friend of Ash's and mine. We all used to travel together when we were much younger."

"Pi toge pi pi to togepi?" {"Well what have you been doing in the bedroom?"}

Even more flustered than before, Misty's face turned redder than her hair. She quickly tried to think of some excuse and when none came to mind, she changed the subject and dismissed the unexpected question. Misty checked her watch and looked out the window for the tenth time. "Oh look, my sisters aren't holding a water ballet show tonight. Why don't you go off and play at the gym with all the other pokémon?"

"Toge!" {"Okay!"}

She gave a small nervous smile, and pulled out Togepi's pokéball. The egg jumped and was sucked inside by the beam of red light. Misty placed it on the transporter, sighing in relief as it instantly disappeared on its way to the Cerulean Gym. 

"Looks like you got rid of her just in time." A pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her, making her give a small shriek of surprise. "Sorry I scared you, but I just couldn't resist," Brock winked at her seductively. 

Misty relaxed a bit and slapped him teasingly, "Pervert."

He grinned and pulled her into a warm hug. "What's wrong babe, you seem so tense."

She snorted and raised an eyebrow at him, "Babe, you seem so tense? What is this, a porno movie?"

"Why not?" Before she could react, Brock lifted Misty off her feet and held her in his arms, trying to keep a straight face. "Would you like to board the Brock Express, my dear?"

Misty couldn't help but giggle, for once feeling like a teenager again. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed it lovingly. "Yes." She poked him in the stomach, "but I better get first class or I want my money back!"

"You better hold on, because this is going to be a ride you'll never forget," he joked, gently running his fingers through her hair.

"Full speed ahead," she smiled softly.

Brock carried Misty as he ran towards the bedroom. His bad imitations of a train could no longer be heard over the sound of their laughter ringing in unison through the halls.

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Misty lay wide-awake, still lying in Brock's embrace. She sighed and rested her head against his chest, hoping the calm rhythm of his heartbeat would lull her to sleep. Instead of comfort, it gave her more unease. Now as she listened to him sleeping peacefully, her mind began to churn with all the thoughts and guilty feelings she had tried so hard to push away. 

"Misty, are you alright?"

She turned in surprise to see Brock looking at her in concern. Without realising it, Misty had begun to cry and had accidentally woken him. He kissed her softly, "What's wrong?"

"Oh Brock, I… What are we going to do?"

His eyes darkened, knowing exactly what she meant since he had worried over it many times himself as well. "I honestly don't know Misty…" 

There was a long silence between them, both unsure what to say. "Do you…" Brock's voice cracked a bit, "Do you regret everything that has happened between us?"

Misty's voice was no more than a shaky whisper, "Maybe…"

Looking hurt, he pulled away from her. "I knew I was a fool to think that you would actually return my feelings." Brock sat up, his anger began to rise as he continued, "Did you have fun throwing around my emotions, making me think that for once someone cared for me?"

"It wasn't like that – "

"Well damnit Misty, I'm not just some little toy for you to play around with until Ash comes home!"

"Stop!" Hearing the strong intensity in her voice, Brock closed his mouth and turned back to face her. Misty touched his face gently with a sad smile. "You know I would never use you like that Brock. I was never pretending, I really do love you so much…"

His expression softened a great deal, "But you still love Ash too…" 

It was a statement, but Misty answered anyway. "Yes."

Brock sighed unhappily, "Who do you want to be with?"

She closed her eyes tightly, "I don't know, everything is so confusing and complicated."

"I see…"

"You are truly such a kind and wonderful person Brock. You've always been able to understand me better than anyone, and have always been there for me. I know I would be so happy to be with you and start a family with you…" Misty paused, "On the other hand, Ash was my childhood crush, and then my first real love. We've been together so long, and our wedding was the greatest day of my life. I have already vowed to spend the rest of my life with him."

He avoided her gaze, "So that means you want to keep that vow to Ash?"

"No… I don't know what I mean."

"I can't ask you to choose, but he is going to be home in a few days."

"I know…" Misty cursed in frustration, "No matter what my decision is, I will end up hurting one if not both of you very badly. All our friendships will be ruined, things will never be the same."

Brock was silent once again, only able to try and offer comfort by holding her close.

She looked up at him, "I need more time to decide, and Ash won't be home until Tuesday…"

Brock frowned a bit at what she was suggesting. "Misty, you are married to Ash, do you really think it is a good idea for us to continue our relationship behind his back?"

Misty bit her lip, "Probably not… but maybe this was destiny Brock, maybe you are the one I am meant to be with. I want to be with you as long as I can before I have to choose, because if you leave now, I'm afraid you may never come back."

"What if this just makes things worse? What if Ash finds out, he'll hate us you know that?"

She hesitated at that, but the determination didn't leave her face. "…I'm willing to take the chance."

"I… I don't know if I will be able to bare losing you Misty, this could make everything so much harder and hurtful."

"I know it's wrong… I wish there was some other way." Fresh tears glimmered in her bright eyes, "I understand if you want to leave, so just go now before I try to stop you."

Brock didn't move to get up, instead he brought his mouth down to hers and kissed her tenderly. "I can't leave you, if I did I would be leaving my heart and soul."

Misty held onto him tightly, "I love you." 

"I love you too."

As she drifted asleep in his arms again later that morning, Misty felt both happy and horrible. Mixed feeling still stirred inside of her, making her feel sick. She had fallen in love with both of her best friends, one to whom she was married, and one whom she was having an affair with.

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'What am I going to do?'

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